Tullamore DEW 18yo

Tullamore DEW 18yo

Official bottling 
Single malt - Munster
Amber
41.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cinder toffee, strawberry laces, honey, candied oranges, aluminium foil. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, static, tingly, cool. 
Tasting:  Bitter salty. Aluminium foil, orange peel, strawberry laces, vanilla, honey, hints of cinder toffee. 

Finish: Short. Cinder toffee, vanilla, honey, green tea. 

Comments: 

Lots of sweet notes, but it’s rather bitter and feinty on the tongue. It’s not very complex, quite one note. Passable.

Verdict:

I like this.

Waterford Lakefield 1.1

Waterford Lakefield 1.1

Official bottling 
Single malt - Munster
Light gold 
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Yoghurt, cinder toffee, nori, mushrooms, lemon zest, fresh cut grass. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, loosens, warm, astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter sour. Cinder toffee, cream, lemon zest, nori, malted grains, petrichor. 
Finish: Short. Mushrooms, petrichor, cinder toffee, hints of butterscotch. 

Comments: 

Eartthy and mushroomy, some cinder toffee notes. Quite similar to other Waterfords. I’m less convinced terroir matters in whisky, it’s really about distillate and wood management.

Verdict:

I like this.

High Coast Timmer Peat Smoke

High Coast Timmer Peat Smoke

Official bottling 
Single malt - Ångermanland
Pale green gold
48% ABV
Dram

Nose: Mangoes, green tea, leather, orange peel, sultanas, peat, hints of smoky bacon. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens slightly, slippery, cool. 
Tasting:  Sour salty. Green tea, sultanas, bitter gourd, leather, orange peel, peat, hints of smoky bacon. 
Finish: Long. Bitter gourd, orange peel, green tea, peat, sultanas. 

Comments: 

Fruity yet bitter, lots of complexity alongside some gentle smoke and peat. I like this, it’s unusual and definitely not scotch. Nice long finish as well.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Nantou 5yo Batch 2

Nantou 5yo Batch 2

That Boutique-y Whisky Company, Master of Malt
Single malt - Central Taiwan
Golden 
52% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peanuts, photocopy paper, peat, smoke, lemon zest, pears, hints of smoky bacon. With water, smoky bacon, pears, peanuts, hints of leather. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, tingly, expands, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sour bitter. Charcoal ash, peat, honey, lemon zest, fresh cut grass, smoke, hints of brass polish. With water, charcoal ash, smoky bacon, pears, peat. 
Finish: Medium. Charcoal ash, smoke, lemon zest, fresh cut grass. 

Comments: 

Peated Nantou, unusual and a treat. It’s ashy and meaty, some feinty and herbal notes are evident under that smoky cloak. It all fades to an ashy, intensely bitter finish. Intriguing.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Puni 4yo Batch 2

Puni 4yo Batch 2

That Boutique-y Whisky Company, Master of Malt
Single malt - Alto Adige
Bronze gold
46.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Nori, lemon zest, orange peel, wet stones, aluminium foil, white grapes, hints of roast chicken. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, syrupy, static, cool. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Lemon zest, fresh baked bread, nori, hay, honey, wet stones, hints of aluminium foil. 
Finish: Long. Lemon zest, white grapes, aluminium foil, wet stones, honey. 

Comments: 

Flinty and sweet, lots of other feinty notes. Some meatiness, especially on the nose. Quite complex, citrusy, and a little bit herbal. Delightful. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Rampur Asava

Rampur Asava 

Official bottling 
Single malt - Uttar Pradesh
Copper gold 
45% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, white grapes, blackcurrant jam, hibiscus, honey, hints of milk chocolate, hints of lychees. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, slippery, expands, cool. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Raisins, blackcurrant jam, hibiscus, oatcakes, lychees, black pepper, milk chocolate, hints of hay. 
Finish: Long. Hay, oatcakes, black pepper, hibiscus, honey. 

Comments: 

Sweet and fruity, exactly what’s expected from Rampur. But it’s not as intense as the earlier expressions I’ve tried. Good entry level dram though, lots of nice maltiness attached to the fruit.

Verdict:

I like this.

Finglassie 6yo 2017/2023

Finglassie 6yo 2017/2023

James Eadie
Single malt - Lowlands
Silvery gold
57.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Yeast, yoghurt, peat, honey, lemon zest, green apples, hints of smoked bacon. With water, chillies, green apples, honey, peat, smoke. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, volatile, tingly, hot. 
Tasting:  Sour bitter. Yoghurt, green apples, petrichor, tarry rope, honey, white grapes, smoke. With water, tarry rope, peat, honey, white grapes. 
Finish: Short. Tarry rope, green apples, peat, petrichor, hints of smoked bacon. 

Comments: 

Cask 156. This is peated Inchdairnie. I’ve never had the unpeated version. This one is yeasty and lactic, with a strong note of green apples, alongside other white fruit. Promising.

Verdict:

I like this.

The Hearach Single Malt

The Hearach Single Malt

Official bottling 
Single malt - Islands
Bright gold
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Olive oil, desiccated coconut, toast, nutmeg, vanilla, gooseberries. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, tingly, airy. 
Tasting:  Sour salty. Lemon zest, gooseberries, vanilla, green tea, apricots, olive oil, hints of toast, hints of capers. 
Finish: Medium. Green tea, olive oil, gooseberries, apricots, hints of nutmeg. 

Comments: 

Savoury and fragrant, lots of interesting notes. There's fruit, brine, herbs and spice in this. Very interesting, and unusual. There was a lot of fanfare with this whisky, and it’s not necessarily unjustified.

Verdict:

I like this.

Lagavulin 12yo 2023 Special Release

Lagavulin 12yo 2023 Special Release

Official bottling 
Single malt - Islay
Pale gold
56.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Apple juice, driftwood smoke, oolong tea, honey, cinnamon, leather, peat. With water, oolong tea, peaches, white grapes, driftwood smoke. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, tingly, hot, astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Apple juice, white grapes, oolong tea, cinnamon, petrichor, leather, tarry rope, driftwood smoke. With water, white grapes, peaches, driftwood smoke, petrichor. 
Finish: Medium. Cinnamon, apple juice, white grapes, driftwood smoke, petrichor. 

Comments: 

Tequila cask finish, surprisingly sweet and fruity. There’s some tannins that have maybe appeared because the peat is less aggressive than I’d expect in a Laga. Lovely whisky. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Driftless Glen Straight Rye

Driftless Glen Straight Rye

Official bottling 
Single rye - Wisconsin
Amber copper
48% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honey, damson jam, oatcakes, black tea, orange peel, brown paper, cinnamon. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, expands, astringent, warm. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Marshmallows, blueberry jam, tutti frutti, strawberry laces, orange peel, honey, cinnamon, hints of black pepper. 
Finish: Medium. Cinnamon, strawberry laces, damson jam, black pepper, orange peel. 

Comments: 

Fruity, straightforward rye whiskey, with some intense complexity in parts. Lots of sweet notes, with a little spice - not as much as I expected. Still good though.

Verdict:

I like this.